The future of (anti) aging

Tone, tighten & smooth

A trip to the cosmetics counter says it all: Skin care is an ever-changing business. Last year's big news is this year's snooze as fresh products hit the shelves, promising to tone, tighten, and smooth better than anything that's come before. Here, the pros address your biggest aging concerns, tell us what's hot and what's not, and offer a glimpse of what the future might bring.

Age Spots

Old Think: Out, out, damned spot! Hydroquinone (HQ), a topical skin whitener, has been center stage for the last 50 years. But it's not without controversy: Some women with darker skin tones find that the ingredient actually darkens their skin, and most recently, the FDA listed HQ as a possible carcinogen.

At the Doctor's Office: Lasers target the pigment within the spot, making it scab up and eventually disappear (scarring is uncommon).

Future Think: "My wish is that everyone would wear sunscreen religiously so they wouldn't get brown spots to begin with," says Bank. As for those existing spots: "I'm hoping for a laser that works instantaneously, so you won't have to go through any scabbing," he says.